Chapter 229. Low Self-Esteem (2)
Three White Eyes.
An impression slightly aggressive where the lower edge of the iris does not touch the lower eyelid.
Physiognomy refers to this as the eyes of an ambitious person and evaluates them as having a natural desire for achievement and victory.
However, experiencing ‘that man’ beside me brings a vibe that somehow contradicts this physiognomic result.
He seems completely unfazed by defeat or victory, as if he’s indifferent enough to not even care if he gets a bunch of big scars on his face.
That man, an S-Class Hunter at the peak of the food chain, always exhibited more mental strength than physical strength.
‘He’s a hunter that commands respect.’
In reality, they aren’t that far apart in age, but this industry is all about merit, isn’t it?
Kim Gi-ryeo seemed like a person born for hunting.
He didn’t even blink at most issues.
And as for his private life? It’s impeccably clean. Aside from the old rumors of school violence that never were substantiated, there wasn’t anything to catch on him.
Some would say his uniqueness comes from the solitary childhood he endured.
Ahn Yoon-seung didn’t think so.
From what he observed, Kim Gi-ryeo’s abilities were far beyond the trivial environmental factors.
Truly, a natural talent.
A man whose level is so high it seems no criminal could reach him.
‘Strength, strategy, mentality. Frankly, he doesn’t lack in any aspect as a hunter.’
However, one day, this seemingly flawless hunter displayed a rare behavior.
As if he didn’t have the mental capacity to suppress it, he displayed trembling hands and a subdued demeanor.
This was astonishing for Ahn Yoon-seung. It felt like watching a well-crafted cultural asset shatter before his eyes.
Without needing to dredge up long-past events, the Fourth S-Class had just recently bravely taken hits to protect acquaintances during the Thornbush Forest incident.
In creative works, villains often appear charming.
But in reality, those who uphold ethics are naturally attractive.
Moreover, that hunter is not just generous to his acquaintances!
“Hunternet [Free Board]”
[m*: Heo Ryuㅠㅠㅠ So touchingㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[7: Indeed, a true top-tier doesn’t even harbor petty jealousy toward partners. Instead, with so much to give, they try to be the first to share.]
[P*: Didn’t his skin just brush against thorns? That’s painfully agonizing; how did he solo take it down?]
During the Dungeon Break suppression at Thornbush Forest.
The internet erupted with testimonies from employees of Sunhwa Bank who escaped from the dome.
These testimonies were what sparked such reactions.
– And Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter tried to take down the boss all by himself at the end.
– That’s right!
– If he’s going to suffer anyway, he thought it’d be better to suffer alone…
Even after facing that excruciating pain directly stabbing into his nerves, he willingly took on all the work.
‘So that’s why, when he was blocking attacks meant for me, he didn’t show any sign of pain, worried his younger sibling might get anxious…!’
Yoon-seung felt respect blooming again.
The person who willingly took charge of the thorn treatment for other hunters.
It’s perplexing how this splendid Awakened being seems to be experiencing a sudden dip in condition, yet how could he simply ignore such concerns?
‘One shouldn’t just take endlessly from others.’
When one receives grace, they should know how to repay it.
Again, Yoon-seung wanted to help that Fourth S-Class no matter what.
And in the midst of this, an opportunity finally arose.
♧Seonghan Daily♧
[[Dungeon News] Perhaps we’ve already ‘failed’? (Continued)]
…It is a bit of a stretch to say it openly, but the scale of this incident made it hard to dismiss.
*
The age of machinery has arrived!
In reality, there hasn’t been a situation to declare it at this level yet.
However, the phenomenon started on the 6th of the month has stirred the capital.
The gates of this world usually irregularly feature higher frequencies of certain monsters.
Unfortunately, this time it’s the ‘Golems’.
It’s as if specific products were overly stuffed into a claw machine.
Soon, most A-Class Gates in Seoul turned into lifeless nests.
The sudden surge in the probability of dungeons where Golems appear was significant.
【 Hunternet [Free Board] 】
[m*: Golems give Infinite Power Cores during boss fights. Isn’t this a profit since we can mine a ton?]
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Golems are notoriously avoided monsters.
Unlike beast types, they don’t restrain their movements even when injured. (Bleeding resistance)
Their defense is astronomically high, and usually, just breaking through their outer casing takes quite some time. (Physical defense)
【 Hunternet [Free Board] 】
[Jeon*: Aren’t Golems basically a core one-trick pony? ㅇ_ㅇ]
[7: Exactly. The loot value of regular monsters is trash, so if you don’t get cores from Golem dungeons, the team’s distribution will tank fast.]
One could end up in a situation where they struggle and make just enough to cover potion costs.
Everyone wanted to ignore the Golem outburst.
However, state agencies couldn’t afford that luxury.
The recent A-Class Golem dungeons spreading across Seoul were all appearing at similar times, increasing the likelihood of simultaneous breaks if they didn’t push in a raider.
“It’s troublesome. How long has it been since the New Association President’s inauguration, and already this kind of incident?”
“Shall we issue a summons to A-Class Hunters?”
“Right now? It’s too early.”
“But if we leave it to hunters’ discretion, something bad is bound to happen…”
Murmurs filled the meeting room.
“Ha.”
The most fitting talents for smoothly resolving the situation were the superhumans with an Awakening Level of S-Class.
Sadly, calling them was not easy.
1st: Jeong Ha-seong.
He would be busy for a while handling the Dungeon Break from the [Winter Commander] event in Jeju.
2nd: Seo Esther.
She was currently stuck inside a dungeon, not outside.
An A-Class Awakening team from a local branch of the Korean Magic Tower got injured and trapped!
To resolve this, Guild Master Esther had to personally visit Cheongju, and the dungeon they were attacking had an average clearing speed of 3.8 days, which was massive…
And there was no need to explain who was next on the list.
Kang Chang-ho. No response.
With no choice left, the association decided to pin their hopes on the last S-Class Hunter.
9th.
But from what the former president, who had left along with the former president, had heard.
This hunter had once threatened not to forcibly summon him for punishment when the institution failed to protect personal information…
‘Asking him might be fine, right!’
Just then, as they attempted a gamble that was bound to fail…
– Ding, ding, ding, ding.
A staff member checked repeated alerts ringing from a computer, mouth agape.
[New Dungeon Application – “The Grasp of the Giant” (A) – Applicant: Neo Sisters Co., Ltd.]
[New Dungeon Application – “The Grasp of the Giant” (A) – Applicant: Neo Sisters Co., Ltd.]
[New Dungeon Application – “The Grasp of the Giant” (A) – Applicant: Neo Sisters Co., Ltd.]….
What on earth was going on?
Numerous Golem Gates suddenly reserved all at once.
*
The emergence of “The Grasp of the Giant,” a den of Golem-type monsters that hunters avoid.
In this situation, an A-Class Hunter let out a triumphant shout.
“This is it!”
A gift that could excite the joy of the Fourth S-Class, Kim Gi-ryeo?
Ah, it can only mean “The Safety of Citizens.”
‘Of course, my bro…’
Gi-ryeo.
That hunter seemed weary of the rampant hatred and conflict in this society.
At first, he had hidden his rank and led a quiet life.
But as a born righteous person, he could not sit idly by when threats arose, revealing his true identity.
[(Breaking News) Korea, the Emergence of the Fourth S-Class!]
And after being exposed as an S-Class, he seemed to take it for granted that he would participate in various events.
Peace.
No matter how one thinks about it, the only thing this hunter would likely find interesting was a dull and noble topic like this.
So, with determination, Yoon-seung said to his comrades.
“Are we going to monopolize the Golems appearing in Seoul? What do you mean by that?”
He wanted to quickly alleviate this situation, even if it meant sacrificing overtime and weekends.
Of course, the appearance of Golem-type monsters in droves was not something to take lightly.
Thus, the other members of Neo Sisters covertly considered Golem hunting, but pushing people through a tight schedule like this was a stretch.
“No… do we really have to? If the dungeon bursts, the nation will step in anyway…”
“That’s the problem! Honestly, I want to resolve the situation before the association calls on S-Class Hunters.”
The regular team leader of Neo Sisters maintained a listening attitude.
From what he heard, the 9th ranked hunter in the Korean Hunter industry seemed to display signs of strain breaking through his unyielding facade.
This was why Ahn Yoon-seung appeared to contemplate volunteering for the Golem hunt to ease some of the burden for the 9th.
“If we can’t handle it at an A rank level, he’ll step in again. How can someone like my bro ignore others’ risks? Ugh, it’s clear he’ll step up without showing a hint of struggle…!”
While the intent was good.
“Hmmm.”
Still, Yoon-seung didn’t want to take on Golem dungeons voluntarily, which were high difficulty and had precarious profitability.
Hunting can’t just be volunteer work, right?
This is perilous work primarily meant for survival, how could a working man take losses for total strangers?
“…What a great idea!”
This case had existed.
The 3rd team leader adjusted their crossbow and turned their head.
Then, the youngest member behind them, Baek Ja-kyung, exclaimed enthusiastically.
“If I, as a mere person, can help, I want to contribute!”
“Wow, we’ve nabbed some Kim Gi-ryeo fans~ If this keeps up, both will probably end up joining ‘Hunter Love.’”
“That place doesn’t accept hunters, does it?”
Now that Baek Ja-kyung mentioned it, hadn’t he said that he received help from the disguised Kim Gi-ryeo at the last Epic Class auction?
That’s why he was passionately making such claims.
“Team Leader.”
At that moment, the usually calm leader was wearing a deadpan expression.
Ahn Yoon-seung threw a tempting bait toward the absent-minded 3rd team leader.
“By the way… um… there’s that Epic Class item that’s going up for auction. The crossbow that’s said to be of a type I’ve never seen before. And the stats are superb.”
“Wild Crossbow?”
“Yes! But didn’t you worry that the opening bid might be way too high to win it the last time? Recently, you’ve been eating at the cafeteria every day because of equipment changes…”
When one is in distress, it’s always wise to consider if money could be the issue.
“Team Leader! I’m willing to forfeit my share!”
Yoon-seung stated firmly.
“I’ll distribute all the profit that comes my way evenly among the team!”
“Huh?”
“And I found out that the probability of obtaining the core from ‘The Grasp of the Giant’ is higher than from ‘Golden Fragrance’!”
“…!”
“The claim that our revenue will tank applies only if we don’t get a core. But if we reserve several dungeons and clear them all at once….”
Statistically, earnings won’t be an issue. That’s exactly what averages are for.
Furthermore, the team’s youngest chimed in upon hearing this.
“Me too! I won’t take any payment this time!”
“Whaaat?”
“I’m so thankful to Kim Hunter that I’d like to do something to repay him. I mean, he helped me without receiving anything in return before! And it’s impossible to just show up to say thanks to someone I don’t even have contact with. If I can support him in this meaningful way…”
“Really?”
“Yes! Really!”
Such declarations of donation from two top hunters!
Then, what would be the percentage of the remaining people’s share increases?
Moreover, if by chance the number of cores dropped was higher than usual that day…?
“Erm.”
“Humm.”
Suddenly, the quiet team members began to clear their throats.
The first to speak was the healer.
“Don’t the young friends seem quite thoughtful? Such loyal gestures are rare these days. Ugh, considering the intent, perhaps we should group together and do our best…”
With the elder making a weighted statement, the younger male guild member beside him soon chimed in too.
“I’m fine with it. Um, well, since our team’s vacation schedule is already set, how about we just think of this as an opportunity to gallivant a bit and rest afterwards?”
The team leader, a crossbow sharpshooter, pictured the shadow of an item in a flash.
A two weeks later, an Epic Class auction showcasing a new artifact from America.
The graceful silhouette of a certain crossbow mesmerized someone who had chosen hunting as a lifelong profession far more than a stylish supercar. But even with five years of industry experience, she couldn’t muster the confidence to claim that crossbow without a second thought.
After all, an Epic artifact boasting attack power is astronomically valued.
Power, or safety, or something like that.
Just possessing that item could drastically enhance my life as a hunter.
Moreover, this recently revealed Epic weapon was conveniently a crossbow being handled exceptionally well by some. Missing on it would undoubtedly mean a long wait for the next chance to come around…
Shivering.
After a long period of contemplation.
The third team leader, with trembling hands, took out their mobile phone.
“Hello? Mom. It’s me. I think I’ll be coming home late for a few days starting today, so please have dinner ready for me first… Please order something delicious with Dad…”
What followed was a heart-wrenching overnight domino for an office worker.
